Seared Scallops with Pea Purée
(courtesy of Jimmy’s Restaurant inside The Landing Resort and Spa in South Lake Tahoe. Serves 4)
For Seared Scallops:
3 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ pounds sea scallops
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup dry white wine or water, plus more as needed
Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into pea-sized pieces, put on small plate, and stick in freezer. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil and wait for butter to melt.
Pat scallops dry with paper towels, add them to pan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; work in batches if necessary to avoid crowding skillet. Cook, turning once, until they are well browned on both sides but not quite cooked through, 2 minutes per side (less if scallops are under 1 inch across; more if they’re over). Transfer scallops to a plate.
Stir in garlic, lemon juice, and wine. Scrape all brown bits off bottom of skillet with spatula. Lower heat to medium and cook until liquid in skillet thickens, 1 or 2 minutes, then whisk in butter you chilled in the freezer, one bit at a time, to make a creamy sauce, adding another tablespoon or two of liquid if necessary.
Return scallops to skillet and add chives. Adjust heat so sauce bubbles gently, and toss to coat scallops with sauce. To serve, transfer scallops to a platter and spoon sauce all over.
For Pea Purée:
2 cups fresh peas
¼ cup room-temperature water
½ avocado (for texture and more color)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon
Shell peas until you have roughly 2 cups. Bring unsalted water to a boil, add peas, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bright green. Drain peas and place in a blender or food processor with rest of ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Serve on plate with seared scallops. Enjoy!
